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It was midday when Stone stepped off the chopper, eyes affixed to the welcoming committee that had gathered upon his arrival at a helipad on the outskirts of the Den. To think it used to be this way he thought. What would Tiffani say if she could see me now. How come you didn't tell me she'd ask. I asked myself that question a million times. I figured it was for the best that she not know that part. Maybe it was better for all of us. Still.... "Halt! Who goes there?" barked a soldier. "Identify yourself or we will open fire." Stone paused for a moment and looked at the ground below. It had been the first time in a long time since he was home. Why does it feel so alien? thought Stone. "Lower your weapons. We are not here to fight." said Stone. "We come seeking aid for the foxes." "Then your task has failed. Now get back on your chopper and go away. We wolves have our own problems to deal with." said the soldier. "I seek an audience with the elder council." said Stone. "Who do you think you are!" barked the soldier as he moved towards Stone, rifle drawn for a quick one-two should the need arise. "If you're going to pull the trigger I suggest you don't miss. I won't give you a second chance." said Stone. "Fine by me. Now identify yourself." said the soldier. By now Jillian had descended from the safety of the helicopter and rushed to Stone's aid. "Back off!" yelled Jillian as she raised her rifle right back at the soldier. "Don't you know who you're talking to?" "A dead wolf, that's for sure." said the soldier. "Funny you should say that. Because-" said Jillian. "Shut it! I want to savor this moment." said the soldier. Stone closed his eyes and remembers his exchange with Kyle just before boarding the chopper to the Den.

***** "It would help if you could get the wolves to lend a paw." said Kyle. "Otherwise Neon City is lost." "What makes you think they'd listen to me?" said Stone. "Because of who you are." said Kyle. "And what you stand for." "And what is that?" said Stone. "A symbol of hope." replied Kyle. "Need I remind you of what that symbol did to the foxes?" said Stone. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a savior." "I suppose not but your all we have." said Kyle. "What if I fail to bring back help?" said Stone. "What happens then?" Kyle paused for a moment and then spoke solemnly, "Then there will be no world for tomorrow. Should the foxes fall its only a matter of time before the wolves do too." "Stone?" Tiffani interrupted. "You can't let that happen. We have a home, a life, doesn't that mean anything to you?" she said. "It means everything to me." said Stone. "I've already lost you once, Tiffani. I don't think I can bare the thought of losing you again." "If not for the people, Stone." said Kyle. "Do it for your mate. Give her a future to look forward to." Stone rested his paw on Tiffani's shoulder and felt her nuzzle against it. "If I do this for her...I want you to keep out of harms way." said Stone. "As is she were my own daughter." said Kyle. "I give you my word." "Works for me." said Stone. "Guess I should say goodbye-" "Its not goodbye if you come back to me." said Tiffani. "Just promise me you'll return for me." "I promise." Stone said, kissing Tiffani shortly before loading onto to the chopper and watching her wave as he ascended into the air. "The hardest part of letting go-" Jillian said, referring to her own mate. "-is saying goodbye." "I take it you know from experience?" said Stone. "My own mate is down there somewhere, fighting the good fight. Wish I could just see them one last time. You know, before shit hit's the fan." "I'm sure you'll see them again. In this life or the next." said Stone. "Are you ever happy?" asked Jillian. "Because frankly...it creeps me out." "I'm happy. You're just never around when it happens." joked Stone. "That sounded kinda flirty, didn't it?" "Sorry, I'm spoken for." Jillian said, showing off her bonded ring that hung next to her wolf tags. "He must be a lucky wolf." said Stone. "You mean 'she' is a lucky wolf." said Jillian. "I bonded with another female." Stone smiled quickly and turned to look out the window, clouds racing by as the chopper pushed past the chaos below and over open water. "My have times changed." said Stone, seeing Jillian's outline reflect from the choppers window. "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Jillian. "Well?" she hummed. Stone sat quietly, mind racing about the matter at paw, ignoring the bewildered wolfess. ***** "Under Article 713 of the wolf code I order you to lower your weapon and take me to the elder council." barked Stone as he returned the soldiers gaze. "Still going on about that? And what's with the order?" replied the soldier. "You don't order me around like some obedient lackey." "Do as your told wolf. I will not ask again." said Stone. The wolf lowered his weapon, poking Stone in the chest with his finger as he said his final warning, "I'll say this one more time. Get back on your helicopter and piss off!" "Council!, now!" Stone repeated. "Um...Stone, maybe we should leave before you start another war." said Jillian. "This time with the wrong people." "I promised Tiffani I'd bring help." growled Stone. "And I'm not leaving until I've done so." There was a gleam in Stone's right eye as the soldier lifted his rifle again. In a series of motions Stone disarmed the wolf and aimed the rifle at his forehead, pressing hard as to signal his displeasement. "In the name of the god wolf himself take me to the council!" barked Stone. "Stone!" yelled Jillian. "Aren't you being a little drastic?" "You could say love makes a wolf do crazy things." said Stone. "So I've noticed." said Jillian.

A female from the back of the group forced her way to the front and stood before the trio of wolves. Her uniform a darker shade of gray that accented her silvery fur. Her dark hair was short and was mostly covered by a black beret, save for a few stray strands. "Stay that weapon wolf." she commanded. "I'll take you to see the council." "Finally" said Jillian. "A wolf who will listen to reason." Stone lowered the rifle, "I think I'll keep this." "The hell you will." uttered the soldier. "I'll-" "It'll take more than you and your rifle to take that wolf" said the wolfess. "You stand before the great wolf himself fool. You should feel honored." "Just who the hell is he?" asked the soldier as Stone brushed past him only to stop a few feet away. "A ghost from wars past. And I have returned." said Stone. Jillian waltzes past, "He does that a lot." she said before heading towards the waiting vehicle. "Who?" the soldier said as the vehicle departed the landing area.

Inside the humvee.....

"And your name is....?" said Stone. "The name's Jyra, Jyra Soldier Wolf. I believe you knew my grandfather." said Jyra as the vehicle came into the main highway to the heart of the city. "Soldier Wolf. Hmm. I believe I remember that name." said Stone. "Just give me a moment." "You should." retorted Jyra. "We Soldier Wolves haven't forgotten the Black Wolves, that you can count on." "I see." said Stone. "Um can you two explain it for the wolf in the back because she has gotten lost?" uttered Jillian. Stone breathed deeply, shook his head and began to speak. "Back in the day, meaning during the War of Pride, I had failed the elder council by not bringing foxes to their knees. My first defeat was at the hands of the Desert Fox unit in Neon City. After being driven out of Neon City I was forced to regroup on Kino Island. Still following?" asked Stone, glancing to the back to see if Jillian was paying attention. "So far yeah." said Jillian. "And then?" "Then the foxes assaulted Kino Island and forced me to retreat to the mainland." said Stone, "More like forced you off." commented Jyra. "As I was saying." said Stone. "After losing Kino Island I had to do something. So I then forced the coyotes into the war and made a push back onto Kino. Long story short I took back Kino Island in a little under a week, help from the Azkani of course." "Azkani?" asked Jillian. "What was that?" "A giant battleship meant to end the war." said Stone. "What happened?" said Jillian. "The foxes deployed a nuclear weapon aboard the ship and utterly destroyed it. How they knew how to board the vessel is beyond me. Only a few people knew of its existence." said Stone. "After losing the Azkani I was then deemed unworthy to carry out the council's orders and replaced by Jyra's grandfather." "So then what happened?" asked Jillian. "Without our naval support, the wolves and coyotes were driven from Kino and forced to retreat. In the process the coyotes surrendered to the foxes and left the wolves to fight for their own." said Stone. "And without my leadership, the wolves were forced to follow another. A wolf who ordered the deployment of wolven nuclear capabilities. The Half Moon Protocol, a final act of desperation. It would mean deploying nuclear weapons inside the Den to make it uninhabitable and to keep it from foxen paws." "I guess that makes sense." said Jillian. "By the elder wolf, you all were a fucked up bunch back then." "Desperate times, desperate measures. Of course Half Moon wasn't put into action, thank the elder wolf." "Let me guess..." said Jillian. "You had a paw in that?" "I had a vision and acted upon it." said Stone. "Oooh, do tell?" said Jillian. "Its one I keep for myself." said Stone. "I don't know if your being mysterious is doing you justice or if it makes you an asshole." joked Jillian. "Stick around. It gets better." said Stone. "Just wait until we get to the elder council." "I wouldn't miss it for the world." joshed (joked) Jillian.